HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2025-4660
HR 4660
By Representatives Santos and Obras
WHEREAS, On August 12, 1931, Dolores Dasalla Estigoy was born on Vashon Island to Maria Dasalla and Victoriano Estigoy, but was raised among the manongs in the Chinatown International District of Seattle where the family owned and operated the Estigoy Café; and
WHEREAS, Dolores fondly credits the community of Filipino immigrant laborers who frequented the Café, as well as the hotels, barbershops, and gambling halls of Chinatown, for providing her with a sense of belonging and identity, and for teaching her to embrace hope, determination, and respect for all in her endeavors; and
WHEREAS, Torn between desire and destiny, young Dolores abandoned her dreams of becoming a violin teacher, instead pursuing a career in journalism with the encouragement of her mother who deeply admired Victor Velasco, the editor and publisher of the Filipino Forum , a valued community-based newspaper which Dolores and her husband Martin Sibonga later purchased; and
WHEREAS, In 1952, Dolores graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in journalism, one of the first Filipinos to earn this distinction, thus beginning a lifetime of "firsts" for her and the communities and causes with which she identified, including being the first Filipina admitted to the Washington State Bar Association and serving as the first woman of color to serve on the Seattle City Council; and
WHEREAS, Throughout her exemplary career, Dolores demonstrated how to lead with conviction, compassion, and courage, once being arrested with her son after joining a protest at SeaTac airport while covering the story for the Filipino Forum ; and
WHEREAS, Dolores' public service career spans, not only three terms as an elected member of the Seattle City Council, but also service as a public defender, a legislative analyst for the King County Council, the operations manager in the Office for Civil Rights, Commissioner of the Washington State Human Rights Commission, Commissioner of the state Horse Racing Commission, and – currently, as a nonagenarian – a hearing examiner for the King County Board of Appeals and Equalization, leaving an unparalleled legacy of accomplishments and achievements; and
WHEREAS, Known for her generous and gracious mentorship of young leaders and of community organizations, Dolores has bequeathed values of hope, humility, and home to the next generation of civic stewards, thereby honoring the treasured teachings of her beloved manongs ;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives recognize and commend Dolores Sibonga for her extraordinary lifetime of public service, political activism, and community leadership in pursuit of justice and equality for all Washingtonians.